Posts Tagged ‘fire’
New small group, False grace interview & new powerful teaching
Listen to a message that rocked Revival Church last night! Fire: Fervency & Friction
It’s time for a bold, prophetic and provocative spirit to arise in the church again!
Most people avoid conflict, which results in a tepid, unchanging church. We must have a violent spirit as we wrestle against unholy spirits of the age.
I’ll include my notes below. You can listen to the teaching here: media.johnburton.net/6401006
FALSE GRACE INTERVIEW
Also, I’ll be interviewed THIS THURSDAY at 8am on the topic of the false grace message. Check out the video here: http://youtu.be/A-l_b_IAt5U
You can find more info about the show here: http://www.facebook.com/pastorsprewell
SMALL GROUP AT JOHN AND AMY’S HOUSE
The first Saturday of each month, Amy and I will be opening our house to anybody who wants to discuss how to fulfill their ministry, how to grow deep in the Lord and how to have fun doing it! We’ll have food and a lot of fun!
Just contact us if you’d like to come! [email protected]
The first group will be Saturday, February 2 at 6pm.
FIRE: FERVENCY AND FRICTION
Here’s my notes. The series continues this Sunday at Revival Church at 6pm!
Fire: Fervency & Friction
I. A call to provoke
a. A goal is to be the most fiery, fervent, passionate body of Believers in Detroit—not because we are trying to build the Revival Church brand, but because we want to simply live according to the Biblical norm!
i. We want 1000 people who are burning, on fire… praying non-stop, moving against resistance, taking dominion!
ii. A remnant is rising up, bold prophetic messengers who will fear God, preach the cross, call to repentance & emphasize the reality of Hell.
iii. This will result in a great provocation!
iv. A key problem with communicating reform in the church is that most presume it will enhance the familiar, not eradicate it.
1. What this means is that our comfort and what we like is at risk of demolition!
2. We are the initiators of this great reform!
b. When we have a great understanding of who we are in Christ, we will not only stop fearing conflict, but we will joyfully seek to initiate it.
c. There’s simply no way we will be able to stay silent! Carriers of fire are constantly provoked!
i. With a spirit of great love and deep concern for those in darkness, our confidence in the power in our lives will result in action!
ii. That provocation, that friction, that fervent spirit will result in an atmosphere of fire, of awakening in our generation!
iii. Our goal as a prophetic people is not primarily to make people feel good! It’s to bring the trouble that’s hidden under the surface, to the surface for the sake of freedom.
1. The great counterfeit won't come to you as a counterfeit. He'll come to you as the Holy Spirit. Howard Pittman
iv. A spirit of religion doesn't restrict personal freedom, it emphasizes it…and violently reacts against anything that would threaten it.
1. A spirit of truth will cut, prune, trouble…before it liberates.
2. That’s why it’s so resisted… until someone hits rock bottom! That’s why calamity has to come to a nation before repentance is shouted!
3. It’s time to violently shake the sleepers, and warn the wicked, and trouble the church!
4. Ephesians 5:8-14 (ESV) 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
5. In a spirit of great humility and love, we must expose darkness, and that requires that we are OK with friction.
6. Though many of you are entertained by my Facebook posts, I really do have a mission in mind.
a. As a prophetic messenger, my intent is to provoke people by the Spirit of God to a fresh level of discernment.
b. On Facebook, Twitter, on my blog, in these audio teachings, on XPmedia, etc. my only goal is to fervently create friction that results in fire in people’s lives.
d. Now, clearly, we talk a lot about fire around here, and that’s by design.
i. To create a fire you need the right conditions. I’m going to talk about two of them:
1. Fervency
2. Friction
e. When you rub two sticks together, you have to get the sawdust that is created heated up to 800 degrees before it will start glowing.
i. Below 800 degrees it will give off a little smoke, but little else.
ii. We cannot afford to be a ministry of smoke.
iii. Anything that prevents the sawdust from reaching 800 degrees will interfere with fire making.
iv. Interestingly, the finer the sawdust is, the lower the temperature necessary for it to ignite. Fervency + friction = fire.
v. Problems:
1. If you don't have enough muscle power then you won't be able to raise the temperature high enough. Remedy: teamwork. Have someone else help you.
2. If the structure of the wood is such that it disintegrates before it reaches 800 degrees then it is a wood that should not be used.
3. Volatile substances such as water or resin in the wood. Evaporative cooling will prevent the sawdust from reaching the critical temperature.
4. Someone said: What makes me feel even better is getting a group of people to contribute towards the starting of a fire. I can think of no better way to bond a group of people.
5. Someone else said: Starting a fire is a sacrament.
II. Fervency
a. Don't let the best you have ever done be the standard for the rest of your life.
i. It’s time to urgently go after the dream!
b. Nehemiah 1:1-3 (ESV) 1 .. one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
i. What should the response be??!
ii. Nehemiah 1:4 (ESV) 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
iii. Nehemiah hit his face and cried out and repented.
iv. If we are looking for personal comfort, we will actually resist the brokenness and grieving that will result in a fervent response!
v. “The desire for comfort can be your enemy. If the source of your comfort is not The Comforter, false comfort will eventually destroy you.”
vi. If moving in the spirit doesn't include a yearning for holiness, it's not the Holy Spirit we are moving in. We must strive for holiness!
vii. Hebrews 12:14 (ESV) 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
c. We must be always on…always alert. Fervent. Striving. Rending our hearts.
i. The word “strive” in the Greek literally means to fight, to contend, to labor fervently.
ii. We must strive, be fervent! Urgent!
iii. “God has called us to be the sworn enemies of sin. We are to wage war against it and strive to give it no opportunity in our lives.” ~ William Wilberforce, Real Christianity
iv. There is a fervent, striving spirit that we must get used to in our lives.
v. The culture is a sinful, destructive culture, and we have to fight against it!
vi. No more simply seeking out comfort and relaxation! We must go hard!
1. The code word for ‘pursuing Jesus hard' is “legalism!” Don't be intimidated by these false arguments. ~Mike Bickle
2. A false grace message will result in a lack of motivation to respond in wholeheartedness. ~Mike Bickle
3. Even entering rest requires fervent striving!
Hebrews 4:11-13 (ESV) 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
4. Rest only come as we allow the breaking, refining process to hit us.
vii. Luke 13:24 (ESV) 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
d. Cover to cover in scripture we see stories of fervency, of war, of battle, of advance.
i. To know God requires that you know him as a fervent, aggressive God!
ii. If our understanding of God is limited to knowing him as “Daddy,” we are missing the wonder of his fearful shock and awe.
iii. When the people cried out Hosanna for Jesus to save them, to comfort them, he gave them a crisis—the cross.
iv. He was fervent in his perfect expression of love!
v. This is why a foundation of our strategy includes deep groans of intercession!
1. There’s an urgency in the spirit that will awaken as we allow God to groan through us!
e. 1 Timothy 4:6-10 (ESV) 6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
1. Wesley: Train thyself up in holiness of heart and life, with the utmost labor, vigor, and diligence.
2. Life Application: “Training” emphasizes the point that spiritual development does not happen by chance. An athlete is focused and committed, constantly training, refusing to let up, always striving.
a. I’m fervent for many reasons…one of which is that I know I am not guaranteed Heaven. I can’t even imagine not being with the one I’ve fallen in love with! We need to fervently exhort, to call each other higher!
3. Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV) 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
III. Friction
a. When you go hard for God, when you fix what others don’t see as broken, when you threaten other’s comfort zones, there will be friction!
i. If a key motivation for you is to be liked and for resistance and friction to be at a minimum, it will require disobedience to God to accomplish that.
ii. So many are content with just learning more and more who they are and what they get as Christians, and they simply attempt to live in this happy, positive realm.
iii. Teaching that attempts to reveal who we are in Christ without resulting in a revelation of what we do for Christ has miserably failed.
1. Titus 2:11-15 (ESV) 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
a. Renounce! Zealous for good works! Declare! Exhort! Rebuke!
2. And, what we do for Christ will cause great trouble!
3. We are called to be peace makers, not peace keepers!
4. That requires conflict and friction.
b. Nehemiah 4:1-3 (ESV) 1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!”
i. Resistance! Mocking! Anger! Rage!
ii. How did Nehemiah respond? Hey prayed for friction!
iii. Nehemiah 4:4-5 (ESV) 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5 Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.
1. Jameison-Fausset-Brown: The imprecations invoked here may seem harsh, cruel, and vindictive; but it must be remembered that Nehemiah and his friends regarded those Samaritan leaders as enemies to the cause of God and His people, and therefore as deserving to be visited with heavy judgments. The prayer, therefore, is to be considered as emanating from hearts in which neither hatred, revenge, nor any inferior passion, but a pious and patriotic zeal for the glory of God and the success of His cause, held the ascendant sway.
c. The next five words are brilliant: Nehemiah 4:6 (ESV) 6 So we built the wall.
i. Nehemiah 4:16-17 (ESV) 16 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, 17 who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
d. We must be in conflict and building!
e. The greater you advance in God, the more threatened the religious will become!
i. Nehemiah 6:1-3 (ESV) 1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
1. I talked with one of Sid Roth’s guests and he said the greatest and most fierce demonic resistance explodes out of people when he deals with the false grace message. The walls we are called to build, to restore the biblical church, will result in a ferocious demonic assault.
ii. It happened with Jesus too!
1. When the world was crying out for relief, Jesus brought conflict!
iii. Friction! What greater friction could there be when Jesus was on the cross? The nails as they were driven through his flesh-friction! The hatred and mocking-friction! His closest friend, his Father, turning his head—friction!
IV. Conclusion
a. The fervency and the friction will result in a fire.
i. Nehemiah 7:1 (ESV) 1 Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed…
ii. Leviticus 6:12-13 (ESV) 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
b. Nehemiah was fervent and he initiated friction…and the fire returned.
A sobering yet clarified end-time vision for the church
Our role has become much clearer after the troubling end of the Presidential election.
My focus in this article is to bring clarity of our vision to the Revival Church staff and team, yet it’s something that any Christian will appreciate.
I am simply confounded. No matter how I try, I cannot even come close to understanding how a Christian would support a candidate that has so clearly, boldly and methodically renounced biblical truths. I’m beside myself.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (ESV) 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
That is a verse specifically dealing with the antichrist, but the principle remains. There is a strong delusion in the world today as the antichrist spirit gains momentum.
For example, consider abortion. If you understand biblical history, you know that it is a violent antichrist spirit. Just as with Herod during the arrival of Jesus on the Earth, there is an antichrist, God killing spirit in America. To stand with anybody who promotes this spirit is beyond nonsensical.
Yes, it’s true that one day after the election that Jesus is still the King. However, I’m trembling as I believe the King is closer to executing desperately needed judgment on America than he has ever been.
Franklin Graham, regarding the election of President Obama to another term: “…I think it will be to our peril and to the destruction of this nation.”
Have you ever considered the nation we love ceasing to exist? It’s possible. Many think it’s probable.
I’ve asked the following question several times yet it’s almost always dodged without an answer:
If a candidate were to support the murder of any child under the age of two, for any reason, would you vote for him? If it was OK to take your toddler, who was becoming an inconvenience to you, or if you couldn’t afford to take care of him, down to the clinic to have him dismembered and disposed of, would that be acceptable? If not, why is it OK to stand with a candidate who supports the murder of children who are younger?
Another even more provocative question is this:
If a two year old child was the result of rape, should it be OK to kill them? If not, then why is it OK to kill them at an earlier age?
The other issues that I consider most troubling are the destruction of the traditional family through the promotion of gay marriage, and the resistance to stand with Israel.
For me, the economy is a near non-issue for the Christian as our needs were already guaranteed to be supplied. My vote was not at all driven by questions about our economy.
A LUCIFERIAN SPIRIT
It’s shocking how deeply a Luciferian spirit has infiltrated the church and our nation. There is a deeper teaching that this article can’t give justice to, but allow me to share some of the key issues that we must be aware of so we can best understand our vision of reformation.
Simply stated, Lucifer was in the very presence of God, witnessing and experiencing all of his love, power and glory. The radiance of God’s presence and his unlimited and immeasurable power was before Lucifer continually. So, what happened?
With God in the room, Lucifer was focused on self.
It’s crazy! Yet, we see this every week in churches from coast to coast.
We see this troubling spirit in the story of the money changers in the temple. Jesus violently reacted as he picked up on this self-centered, Luciferian and religious spirit that resulted in people using God’s holy place for their own personal gain. The temple wasn’t about worshiping God that day, it was about worshiping self just as Lucifer did.
Today’s church, and today’s America is largely about the pursuit of happiness. God’s presence is not enough, and, an even more troubling reality is that, with God in the room, if he is blocking what we really want we will forsake him and spiritualize our own endeavors. That’s what happened with Eve in the garden. Satan appealed to her desire for godliness, for personal gain. So, she rebelled all while spiritualizing her decision.
It’s a Luciferian spirit that is driving so many in the church to focus on personal gain. It shockingly results in some Christians actually supporting abortion if it will result in a better life for the mother. It’s such a high level demonic deception that it has put our entire nation, not to mention the church, at great risk.
The Lucifiarian tradition usually reveres Lucifer, not as the Devil, but as a rescuer or guiding spirit. This philosophy is based on carnal fulfillment with consideration for the preservation of self.
How interesting.
This spirit must be dealt with from the opposing direction. Check out the story in Revelation:
Revelation 12:11 (ESV) 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
The blood of Jesus, the declaration of our surrender to him and focusing not on personal happiness but on embracing the call to martyrdom is the answer.
Our churches and our American lives can no longer be about personal gain, storing up blessings, self-centered happiness or loving our lives.
It’s so sad to me as a leader that the church at large is not satisfied with the fact that Jesus died for them. Is that not enough for us to lay down our own lives for him?
We see most every Christian conference today focusing on our blessings, our identity, our rights. Of course, there is biblical precedence for such topics when handled rightly, however the concern is that self-focus is what draws the crowds instead of the call to die daily and surrender all.
We also see this issue manifesting in the realm of finances. The greatest offerings are received when the greatest teaching on financial return is delivered.
It’s a Luciferian spirit that drives abortion as well. When focused on our own happiness, our delusion results in a willingness to to remove any hindrance to that pursuit—including unwanted children. That self-centered spirit is what drove Pharaoh when he tried to annihilate the Hebrews and what drove Herod when he tried to eliminate Jesus by killing children. It’s the same spirit that fueled the Holocaust. That spirit is powerfully active in America today.
The current abortion crisis in America is significantly worse than the horrific tragedy of the Holocaust. 17 million vs. 55 million dead.
Now, let me say this very, very clearly. I don’t believe the primary reason abortion is freely available in America today is our elected officials. It’s because the same Luciferian spirit that drives the abortion agenda drives so many in the church. Those seeking abortion are on the hunt for personal happiness and the elimination of any threat to it. In the church, the focus has become the same—personal benefit, happiness and freedom. The tickling ear messages and the focus on personal gain is rampant in the church today. Instead of calling the church to lay down their lives, the messages are nearly always about finding themselves and having the best life they can. As I’ve said before, I don’t believe it’s time to “become a better you,” it’s time to “become a deader you.” Dead to self, alive in Christ.
This is the current state of the church.
Charles Finney brought this strong charge back in 1873:
“The error that lies at the foundation of this decay of individual and public conscience originates, no doubt, in the pulpit. … Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree.
“If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it.
“If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.
“Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation.”
So, that’s our setup. Now, what should our response be?
THE VISION
Revival Church team, it’s imperative that we all understand what the vision is and what it is not so we can fulfill the very finely focused mission God has given us.
Further, we must understand if a function of our ministry is a key component of the core vision, or if it’s a supplemental support to the core, or even if it’s contrary to the core. This will help ensure that the main things remain the main things.
Our call is to deal directly with a sleeping and dying church. It’s our prophetic mandate. The alarms must be sounded and repentance must be the result. There is a holy grief and a spirit of mourning that must be upon us, even as we are driven by a deep, abiding joy as God moves through us. Remember, Revival Church is a prophetic ministry that is focused on reformation and calling the greater church into a revival ready model. Many of the messages that come out of this ministry are not only for those in our church but are for those throughout the Detroit region and beyond.
The two chapters in the Bible that must be continually opened at Revival Church are Joshua 3 and Acts 2. Those are our blueprints. Study them. Memorize them. Pray through them. Continually.
Our key verse is Joshua 3:5: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
My book 20 Elements of Revival is our practical guidebook as it gives us a step by step process of city-wide revival. If it’s in there, it’s in our DNA.
Again, as we look at the vision, keep in mind the state of the church and the state of the nation. There is much calibration to be done.
WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN’T
- Revival Church is prayer-fueled and aggressive. We are calling people into an urgent lifestyle of holy striving and zealous prayer as we press toward the goal together. There is a literal groan of intercession that we must discover and release night and day.
- Revival Church is a movement of holiness, repentance, excellence and radical discipleship. Joshua 3:5 reveals that we are to consecrate ourselves and prepare for a life of wonders.
- Revival Church is an apostolic and prophetic church. As an apostle/prophet with a regional and national focus, we are leading from that edge. The constant focus around here is reformation, revival and regional impact which means we are always shifting and redirecting in our methods as we pursue the ultimate goal. Following a prophetic leader is a challenge to say the least. The vision is always expanding and the methodology is always changing which requires that everybody involved is ‘instant in season and instant out of season’. New projects are often initiated well before old projects are completed.
- Revival Church’s message isn’t locally limited. I say often that I’m a one string banjo. We are all about revival on a regional and national level. So, what this means is that those in our church will be hearing the same revival thread in our messages over and over again. We are intentionally focused and limited instead of diverse in our teachings. I understand that the messages I deliver are mostly for the region and nation, and the primary vehicle we are using is the Sunday evening Revival Church service. I’m certainly preaching to those in attendance, but I’m equally targeting those who will be hearing the message online. If I have to say the same thing over and over until those in attendance have it memorized word for word, that’s OK as long as the message is impacting those who are listening in our target areas around the world.
- Revival Church, by design, does not give all five of the offices equal attention. This is not to say that we don’t value all of the offices, but it does say that we know who we are and who we are not. In the current church structure the presumption is that all five offices must be active in every local church. That’s not true. First of all, that’s not realistic for smaller churches. Second, in scripture we know the church is identified by the city, not by the local expression. The five-fold offices must be in effect in the city church, which will require that we as leaders are OK with people in our church participating in other local churches that are anointed in another office.
- Revival Church, again by design, is not a Pastor led church. The current Pastor led church system in our nation has resulted in a lot of false expectations that are placed on leadership. This is one of our greatest challenges. Again, it’s not that we don’t value the Pastoral office, we do. However, our focus, time, energy and resources are not to be used to focus at a significant level on developing pastoral ministry. Interestingly, the presumption might be that without a strong pastoral focus that people can’t easily grow. It’s quite the contrary around here. We are raising up people who are growing at a faster pace than I’ve ever witnessed—and these people are self-motivated. When they notice a struggle in their lives, they proactively take steps to resolve it. False expectations can lead people to presume I as the Senior Leader will be fulfilling the role of pastor in their lives when, in reality, I’m not a pastor at all. This is a challenge to communicate and it can often feel like rejection to those who want close and constant access to me. However, it’s not rejection at all. It’s simply that a prophet/apostle interacts very differently with people than a pastor does.
- Revival Church has an unapologetically high bar of commitment. We believe the 24/7 church is coming, and the call around here is to start modeling this emerging church structure. Additionally, we are launching 50 new churches in this region alone, and we are asking everybody to consider how they will participate in this mission. Everybody here has the goal of changing the Detroit region and working toward revival. We are an “all hands on deck” ministry and are calling everybody to gather every time the doors are opened and the alarm is sounded.
- Revival Church has a vision that demands we expand and look outward. There is much that feels undone in our local church due to our focus to continue expanding in the region. We refuse to wait until everything is perfectly in place and mature before we move out and launch other ministries and projects.
- Revival Church’s core vision is extremely limited. If I had to narrow it down to just a few focuses I would have to include: Prayer, regional revival, church planting, groans of intercession, holiness, equipping carriers of fire and releasing regional and national prophetic alerts. Other focuses and ministries may or may not fit within the scope of our vision. Some are supplemental and greatly needed while others are beneficial, but not in our setting.
- Revival Church is less about the experience and more about raising up sober, broken prophetic messengers. We are preparing people who will prepare regions for coming moves and judgments of God. While having a happy heart, we will also carry the weight of the cross as we call people to surrender and awaken a sleeping church. Our services and ministries will reflect this, and while often joyful, the extreme nature of the burden and mission demands that we gather together, go low and allow God to use us to carry some of the most challenging burdens we’ve ever known.
- theLab is our primary equipping center. We are aggressively encouraging every person in Revival Church to permanently call theLab their home. It is where our core DNA is best experienced and where the team will discover their cohesion and receive their assignments. The limited focus of the church is mirrored at theLab as we raise up an army of people who carry the DNA of revival. (You can apply to theLab School of Fire here: www.revivallab.com.)
LAST THOUGHTS
To confront the spirit of this age that has made significant advances even in the last 24 hours, and to promote the spirit of revival, we must all be signed up, locked in and carrying the message of freedom in our nation.
This means a de-emphasis on personal enjoyment in the church must come as we make way for the remnant to take position, lay down their lives and advance the Kingdom of God in America.
That’s not to say that we aren’t joyful in the house of prayer. We must be. But it must be unto something. The joy of our salvation must explode as we carry the vision of salvation for a sleeping church and a lost society.
Tonight: An otherworldly encounter in store for the Detroit region
Last night we experienced a sudden shock in the spirit realm, and the critical next step comes tonight at Revival Church.
TONIGHT: I’d like to invite EVERYBODY in the region to join us for an hour of white hot prophetic intercession for the service TONIGHT at 5pm!
Brian Simmons carries an otherworldly anointing that provokes people into extreme encounter with the Holy Spirit.
The service last night was indescribable, but suffice it to say, a new wine is being poured out that will mark the church more significantly than Azusa did.
A strange, troubling and wonderful disturbance is coming to the church—and most will flee, while a rare remnant responds to the call into a mysterious new life.
Those who have been looking to the church experience and to God himself for personal benefit are at great risk of rejecting this new wine movement that will mark the end-time church.
The seeker sensitive movement results in the satisfied masses participating in church. A movement of fire & wine results in a dissatisfied remnant participating in revolution.
Tonight, this new wine will be eagerly received as Detroit is prepared for radical renewal.
Revival Church meets at 6pm at CENTRAL CHURCH, 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071. www.explorerevival.com
theLab & 1000 Revivalists
We are working on the next phase of strategy for theLab—and let me just say that it’s going to be a thrill ride.
We’ll be launching teams of people who will grow together, plant together and start fires together in Detroit and beyond.
Stay tuned.
Lindell Cooley & more: Four powerful conferences and events in Detroit
This could be a perfect storm of Holy Spirit activity in the Detroit region.
The next several weeks are going to be extremely powerful and strategic for the Detroit region. The church has an amazing opportunity to unite and breathe fire over Detroit!
TOMORROW THROUGH SUNDAY
Brian Simmons and Catherine Mullins will be at The Crossing in Farmington Friday and Saturday, and then Brian will be at Revival Church in Madison Heights Sunday evening.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12TH
Right in the middle of all the action, we scheduled an all night white hot prayer event at our home in Washington Township. Everybody is invited. Contact me at [email protected] for details. You don’t want to miss this!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH
Lindell Cooley and Nathan Morris will bring an impartation from the Brownsville/Bay of the Holy Spirit stream. I absolutely cannot wait for this!!!
The revolution in Detroit continues: Revival Church North
Tomorrow morning at 10am the revolution in Detroit continues at Revival Church North!
If you are ready to dive into a prayer-fueled mission of revival in the northern Detroit suburbs, come hungry TOMORROW, Sunday, at 10am!
We’ll be going hard after God, encountering him in prayer and worship and catching the vision of widespread fire in the region!
You can watch a video where I share the vision of this exciting new church plant here!
FOOD AND FUN!
After the service ends, we’ll hang out and fire up the grill and eat, talk and get to know each other!
I would love to have a room full of people I’ve never met before! Come out and bring everyone you can find to this brand new church plant!
If you’d like to let us know you are coming, that would be great! We’ll be ready for you! Contact us here: http://revivalnorth.com/contact-us/
LOCATION
For a map and directions, click HERE.
THE VISION
We are gathering a team of hungry people who are ready to experience God in this region in unprecedented fashion.
As one of what will ultimately be 50 Revival Church locations in the Detroit region, we are devoted to starting fires and inviting people to watch us burn!
These fires will spread—and fast. The harvest is ripe and God is gathering those who are ready to help infuse them with the abundant life of Jesus!
THE CULTURE
What should you expect? Freedom and fire!
Revival Church has a passionate and fun atmosphere, exciting and challenging teaching, God’s amazing presence and a environment to nurture life-long friendships!
If you are looking for a point of reference, we affirm and appreciate a variety of ministry streams including the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Bethel Church in Redding, California, Barbara Yoder, Steve Gray and World Revival Church, John Kilpatrick and The Bay of the Holy Spirit, Catch The Fire in Toronto, Lou Engle and many others who embrace the power and presence of God and his advancing Kingdom.
So, plan your visit by contacting us here, dress any way you want (most of us dress in jeans), bring the family, grab some free coffee and enjoy Jesus!
The Culture is our set of core values at Revival Church. It sets the pace and clearly communicates the culture we are called to establish and steward.
- Our mission is your freedom – The mission of freedom from sin, sickness and poverty drives everything we do at Revival Church. We reject a casual approach to God and affirm abundant life, passion and fire for all.
- Honor is in our DNA – Honor is something we are. No matter the issue, you can’t stop us from honoring you! We believe that honor is a condition of the heart and not dependent on someone’s actions toward us.
- We rally around the vision – Revival Church is built on the vision God gave John. As a company of burning ones, we are passionate defenders and champions of it. Every person is responsible to catch fire and burn hot every day. The resulting corporate torch will inflame our region with revival.
- We are a threat to the status quo – This is a ministry of extreme reformation. As we storm against the prevailing flow of the church and society, we fully believe many will be provoked to turn and follow our lead into freedom.
- There is one church in the city and we aren’t it – Revival Church is one department of many in the landscape of the city church. Our focus is regional impact and the increase of the harvest that will be felt far and wide.
- We affirm ridiculous faith – We simply believe that God is extreme and his plans are bigger than what we can imagine. If it doesn’t look ridiculously insane, it’s less than what God has in mind.
- We are all about the numbers – We are unapologetically intense in our mission to gather and equip people of destiny.
- Corporate mission prevails – We are focused on preparing for the influx of zealous people the harvest will bring to Revival Church. We launch and support only those endeavors that fit into the corporate mission.
- We refuse to live below the Biblical norm – Healings, signs, wonders, miracles, extreme love and bold prophetic teaching were and are the standard.
- Poverty has no chance – Extravagant giving in every sphere of life, whether it’s in the church or a big tip at the coffee shop, will displace a spirit of poverty, transform individuals and reform the economy of our region.
- Sickness and disease have no right to torment believers – The Lord Jesus Christ has been given power and authority over all sickness and disease. He has delegated that authority to us.
- We err on the side of freedom – Revival is messy and is to be stewarded, not controlled. We embrace an atmosphere of bold prophetic declaration and Holy Spirit initiated freedom.
We look forward to getting to know you!
The Revival Church Team
Tonight: Community–Sunday: Corry Robinson at Revival Church
It begins TONIGHT at Revival Church! Thursday Night Community!
First, you won’t want to miss a very strategic night of prophetic ministry with Corry Robinson THIS SUNDAY at Revival Church!
Corry is an emerging prophetic voice for the church and a great friend of our ministry.
COMMUNITY
Every Thursday, beginning tonight, at 7pm the Revival Church family (which includes YOU!) will gather together for a night of discussion, prayer, food and fellowship!
Healthy churches and healthy people have a good measure of both FIRE and WATER. We need the fervent, burning, prayer-fueled passion as messengers of fire AND we need the deep, saturating, refreshing water of the Spirit to nurture us.
Thursday night is the water!
Simply show up TONIGHT at 7pm at Revival Church in the fellowship hall/prayer room.
You will have a great time connecting with new friends!
Revival Church meets at CENTRAL CHURCH, 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071.
Matt Sorger, Brian Simmons, JD King and others recommend John Burton Ministries
Book John Burton for an event in your church and experience the fire and the glory of the Holy Spirit!
An event with John Burton will result in an atmosphere of freedom, fire, healing and joy!
John is currently scheduling meetings both nationally and internationally through the rest of 2012 and into 2013. He has a diverse ministry, has written six books and is ready to preach and train in revival, prayer, local church health, personal freedom and other powerful topics.
For more info and to book John visit www.johnburton.net/booking today!
I’m trembling and wrecked and troubled : A national awakening
I’m both awakened and deeply grieved in my spirit.
I can barely type. I’m trembling as the Holy Spirit is raging within me. My God. The cross must be central in our churches again. The Gospel must be preached like in the days of old again.
This weekend marked what I consider the most critical corporate gathering for the church of Detroit this year.
Watch the video of Nathan Morris preaching “Candy Cane Christianity” here: http://bayrevival.org/media_archive_sub.php?id=205
The Bay of the Holy Spirit with Pastor John Kilpatrick and Evangelist Nathan Morris visited Detroit Thursday and Friday, and those unparalleled national leaders of revival carried their responsibility for Detroit on their shoulders.
The call for deep repentance and a return to the cross is the message of the hour for Detroit. I'm truly troubled, but it's an appropriate troubling. It's time for religious systems to be confronted. The ENTIRE church of Detroit should have been at these meetings!!!
When the nation's premier revivalist, a father of revival, calls a meeting, the church must respond. I was SO GRIEVED that just a few hundred people from the Detroit region were there out of over 1450! The rest were people from other regions and nations who paid the price to travel from far away to respond to the call to gather!
The message Nathan delivered on Thursday is unlike anything we hear in churches today—but was common in the great revivals of history.
Let me say this very clearly: It is a rare thing indeed for someone to escape the fires of Hell—and a tragically large number of church goers will be shocked to find themselves there one day. It’s horrifically common.
The great revivalist Leonard Ravenhill said:
I read of the revivals of the past, great sweeping revivals where thousands of men were swept into the Kingdom of God.I read about Charles G. Finney winning his thousands and his hundreds of thousands of souls to Christ.Then I picked up a book and read the messages of Charles G. Finney and the message of Jonathan Edwards on 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,'and I said, 'No wonder men trembled; no wonder they fell in the altars and cried out in repentance and sobbed their way to the throne of grace!'
Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
The fear of the Lord must return!
There's a lack of brokenness and repentance in the church today… we are blind to the depravity that sin creates. People have actually made arguments against deep, troubling brokenness, mourning and travail! Gut wrenching repentance and surrender at the cross must return to the church!
There's a disturbing movement away from sin/Hell consciousness… some believe that we only focus on God and ignore the trauma of sin and what the enemy has done.
Hell is referred to over three hundred times in the New Testament. It’s referred to rarely today.
THE MIRACLE IN MODESTO
A low budget, terribly acted but extremely anointed traveling production called Heaven’s Gates/Hell’s Flames resulted in one of the greatest sudden moves of God in modern American history.
The production simple depicts people who suddenly die and then are either welcomed into Heaven or forcibly dragged by demons to Hell.
Over 81,000 people came to the production in Modesto, California over 28 days with 33,000 documented salvations.
Pastor Glen Berteau: Somebody said, “I hear you've got scare tactics.” No, that's reality tactics. I said, “That's the reality of it all.” The reality is that there is a Hell, just like there's a Heaven. And good people if they don't know Jesus, they're going to go there.
You can read more here: http://janaeusa.angelfire.com/Berteau.html
m10.28
I’d recommend watching another low budget but riveting film called m10.28. I can barely get through the scene I’ll post here. In fact, the experience I wrote about in my book The Terror of Hell is terrifyingly similar to what you see happening at the 4:50 mark… through the 5:30 mark. I experienced being dragged toward Hell and then suddenly waking up in overwhelming fear with a message of awakening and repentance nearly destroying me it was so severe.
Hell is real. Most go there. Here’s the video link: http://youtu.be/VllhuffKyJA
AWAKENING
It’s time to wake up church. No more politics. No more apathy. No more games. Wake up!
Detroit! No more embarrassing turnouts! No more excuses! No more unnecessary busyness that keeps us away from the mission! No more!
It’s time to gather! It’s time to repent! It’s time to consecrate ourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among us!
FALSE GRACE MESSAGE
Beware of the false doctrine of hyper grace that minimizes repentance, judgment and Hell and results in an abdication of the responsibility of the Believer. No form of grace removes the believer's responsibility to repent for his sin. This doctrine is responsible for many in the church being lulled into false security. I am convinced that many go to Hell because of this doctrine. I know The Terror of Hell message must become more of a focus of our ministry.
Chliaros Church no more: We switched back to Revival Church!
We would be a FOOL to give up the name Revival! An APRIL FOOL!
Last year on April 1st we announced a merger with a pagan organization. We would hold joint services and we’d handle the worship and preaching and they would conduct the altar ministry, baby dedications and weddings!
That lasted only one day too!
So, no, there won’t be a SCHOOL OF LUKEWARM PEOPLE. Sorry!
Since I have you, how about we look at our ACTUAL core values as they compare with the core values of a LUKEWARM CHURCH? (You can reference the original article here: http://detroitrevivalchurch.com/2012/04/01/revival-church-is-changing-its-name-to-chliaros-church/
THE CULTURE
The Culture is our set of core values at Revival Church. It sets the pace and clearly communicates the culture we are called to establish and steward.
Our mission is your comfort.Our mission is your freedom – The mission of freedom from sin, sickness and poverty drives everything we do at Revival Church. We reject a casual approach to God and affirm abundant life, passion and fire for all.Tolerance is in our DNA.Honor is in our DNA – Honor is something we are. No matter the issue, you can’t stop us from honoring you! We believe that honor is a condition of the heart and not dependent on someone’s actions toward us.We rally around your vision.We rally around the vision – Revival Church is built on the vision God gave John. As a company of burning ones, we are passionate defenders and champions of it. Every person is responsible to catch fire and burn hot every day. The resulting corporate torch will inflame our region with revival.We respond to the status quo.We are a threat to the status quo – This is a ministry of extreme reformation. As we storm against the prevailing flow of the church and society, we fully believe many will be provoked to turn and follow our lead into freedom.There are many churches in the city, and that is a problem.There is one church in the city and we aren’t it – Revival Church is one department of many in the landscape of the city church. Our focus is regional impact and the increase of the harvest that will be felt far and wide.We affirm honest analysis.We affirm ridiculous faith – We simply believe that God is extreme and his plans are bigger than what we can imagine. If it doesn’t look ridiculously insane, it’s less than what God has in mind.We are all about the numbers.We are all about the numbers – We are unapologetically intense in our mission to gather and equip people of destiny.The mission of the majority prevails.Corporate mission prevails – We are focused on preparing for the influx of zealous people the harvest will bring to Revival Church. We launch and support only those endeavors that fit into the corporate mission.We refuse to offend people through unnecessary challenge.We refuse to live below the Biblical norm – Healings, signs, wonders, miracles, extreme love and bold prophetic teaching were and are the standard.Giving is optional.Poverty has no chance – Extravagant giving in every sphere of life, whether it’s in the church or a big tip at the coffee shop, will displace a spirit of poverty, transform individuals and reform the economy of our region.Sickness and disease are a part of life.Sickness and disease have no right to torment believers – The Lord Jesus Christ has been given power and authority over all sickness and disease. He has delegated that authority to us.We err on the side of order.We err on the side of freedom – Revival is messy and is to be stewarded, not controlled. We embrace an atmosphere of bold prophetic declaration and Holy Spirit initiated freedom.
Additionally:
- We are calling EVERY Christian in Detroit to gather EVERY Friday night to pray and serve another church in our region!
- The School of Fire is still the School of Fire!
- We don’t affirm trading the corporate gathering for happy family days in the sun!
- Our services will be as long as God says!
- We will NEVER cancel for the Super Bowl!
- I MIGHT wear a suit… someday!
- And, yes, our key verse is still Joshua 3:5. We are consecrating ourselves and God will soon do wonders!
Revival in Windsor with John Burton
Tomorrow, Sunday, March 11th experience a journey into the fire with John Burton at Grace Ministries in Windsor!
The service starts at 10am (don’t forget to set your clocks forward tonight!) and I’m expecting serious fire power in Canada!
Grace Ministries is located at 3180 Grand Marais Road East, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
